All rates, terms and conditions quoted are valid from 01st April 2022 to 31st March 2023.
Please be informed that we have three (3) types of accommodation for your choice therefore we have three (3) types of packages to offer:
- Standard Chalet – Built in semi-detached type, sharing balcony, two rooms under one roof with attached private shower room/toilet.
- Stand-alone Chalet – Built in detached type, own balcony, one room under one roof with attached private shower/toilet – additional surcharge per person/per night on top of the normal package price based on twin sharing.
- Suite Chalet – Built on the land in detached type with a living room, own balcony, one room under one roof with attached private shower/toilet – additional surcharge per person/per night on top of the normal package price based on twin sharing.
The above standard and stand-alone chalets are built on the beach of Mabul Island.
Please note for bookings made at standalone chalet and water bungalow with 5 nights stay 1 day trip to Sipadan Island will be guaranteed.
Mabul Water Bungalow
This is a luxury accommodations built on the water. Mabul is a totally different environment from Sipadan. It is mainly on muck diving where it is known for the exotic small marine life like frogfish, fire gobies, ghost pipefish, shrimps, exotic sea urchins, crabs, nudibranch, sea horses and many more. The best month for diving is from April to July but not guaranteed. Water temperature ranges from 26 – 30 degree Celsius. Thermoclines exist, especially on Sipadan.
Visibility averages 15-30+ meters around Sipadan and is extremely variable; without warning it can drop to 3-6 meters. Around Mabul it is sometimes no more than 6-7 meters, especially if someone has kicked up the silt.
RESERVATIONS, CONFIRMATIONS AND PAYMENTS
Reservations (bookings) for Mabul Island trips, transfers, hotels, side tours, etc. must be made with Seaya Holidays. This may be done online, by email, or phone; email is the preferred method.
Spaces shall automatically be released if no confirmation is received on the cut off dates.
a) A reservation fee or deposit of 30% of total calculated tour fee each space (PAX) booked must reach us within 14 days after your initial booking. If this is not forthcoming, your reservation will be canceled without notice. This reservations fee or deposit will hold the spaces until 30 days out from arrival date in Sabah.
The 30% reservation fee or deposit is non-refundable and non-transferable to other dates. You must confirm your spaces by 30 days out by remitting the remaining balance of the calculated tour fare. Also by this time, you must notify us your name as in passport, passport number, nationality, date of birth, diver certification and it’s level, sex, whether traveling single or as a couple, flight details, transfers and, hotels needed (in Sabah), additional tours and anything else you wish us to arrange for you.
b) Payments can be made by Credit Card or Bank Transfer (email remittance slip only). Payment arrangements:
Bank Transfer – please email the bank remittance slip for our record and advice us the date of sending it.
All transactions must be in Australian Dollars.
A copy of remittance advise shall be faxed or email to us. Please indicate the name and the dates of the trip on your payment for reference.
Please be informed that all charges of the bank transactions are to be borne by sender. Our bank information is as follows:
Our Bank information is:
Account Name: Seaya Holiday BSB: 066 161
Account number: 1068 2378
CANCELLATIONS
Once payment is fully settled, in the event of cancellation, the following cancellation charges shall apply.
The cancellation charge is calculated on the basis of the total cost payable by the person(s) cancelling excluding booking fees, insurance premiums and any amendment charges.
(a) From Confirmation date to 15 days before arrival in Sabah
full price forfeited
(b) From 14 days to arrival date in Sabah – 50% of the trip’s full price forfeited
(c) From 7 days to arrival date in Sabah
(d) ‘No Show’ by customer – 100% of the trip’s full price forfeited
1. UNUSED SERVICES
No refund will be made for any part of the Sipadan or Mabul Island diving trip, shorten stay, transfers, side tours, hotels, meals, flights, diving permit etc. not utilized by the pax once the trip has departed from their place of origin.
2. CHILDREN POLICY
The following conditions apply to all NON-DIVING children:
- Infants up to 3 years old are Free of Charge. The infant must stay in the same chalet as the parents; a baby cot will be provided free of charge if prior arrangement is made.
- Children 4 to 11 years who are NON-DIVERS are chargeable at children rate. They must stay in the same chalets with the parents, an extra bed will be provided in each chalet.
Children rate is based on the year of birth.
Any children who are certified diver, no matter what age, and will be diving must pay full divers rates. PARENTS ASSUME FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR CHILDREN AT ALL TIMES.
3. LIABILITIES
We reserve the right to alter, amend or cancel any of the arrangements contained in the itineraries.
4. RENOVATIONS
We reserves the right, upon giving reasonable notice to close any parts of its facilities and/or carry out such repairs, renovations/s and/or upgrades from time to time as its deems fit in its sole and absolute discretion.
5. FORCE MAJEURE
We will not be liable in whole or in part by any cause beyond our control due to fire, flood, strikes or other labor disputes, shortage of materials, transportation difficulties, accident, war, riot, acts of God and change of laws.
Hope you will find the above favorable. Should you need further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us. We look forward to hearing from you soon.
OTHER RESORT ACTIVITIES OFFERED
- PADI / NAUI Diving Courses (from Open Water to Divemaster level)
- Scuba Skills Refresher Course
- Discover Scuba Diving
- Technical Diving Courses
- Nitrox Diving
- PADI/ NAUI Specialty Courses
- Snorkelling
- Beach Volley Ball
- Ocean Kayak
- Island Hopping at nearby island
- Fishing Trip at nearby island
- Diving trip at nearby island
Please note: standard check in-time is 1400 hours and check out time is 1200 hours. Early check-in and late check-out is subject to room availability.
Remarks: Customers are encouraged to purchase their own travel insurance before travelling to Borneo. We recommend you to select a travel insurance policy that covers not only your medical expenses (including emergency repatriation) but also personal liability, cancellation, curtailment and loss of luggage. Doing so can prevent major disruptions an d additional costs. We strongly encourage our customers to choose packages wisely, prioritise your safety first as life is priceless.
Our 150-member staff a-waits to make your dive holiday safe, easy and fun.
HOW TO GET THERE
First, you take a short 45 minutes Malaysia Airlines domestic flight from Kota Kinabalu to Tawau then you will be met and transferred to Semporna Jetty (Harbor) by van (appro. 1-hour drive) and finally, you will be transferred to Mabul Resort by speedboat (appro. 40 minutes boat ride).
Boats: We have fifteen (15) custom-built fiberglass dive boats and three (3) half-cabin passenger/transport boats. These dive boats can carry 10 divers each and get to any of the island dive sites in 15 minutes or more. Each boat goes out three times a day with a boatman and divemaster.
Diving: We have daily boat going to the dive sites, which is about 15 to 30 minutes boat ride. Dive sites and diving schedule will be arranged at the discretion of the resort management. All diving at Sipadan Island is subject to entry permit approval.
The UNLIMITED JETTY DIVING mentioned in the inclusion are dives from Mabul’s House Reef and includes night diving (without divemaster and boat). Tanks, weights and weight belt are provided; all other equipment must be brought by the diver or rented. These dives must be arranged in advance.
Most diving is a combination of wall and drift diving. We have eight Bauer Compressors, 400 units Aluminum 3000 psi/80 cubic foot tanks with American style ‘K’ valves and 100 units with DIN valve, 35 sets of diving equipment for rental. It is advisable to bring own adapter / converter (220/110v) for charging for strobes, camera and lights.
For further details, please refer to our ‘Conditions for Diving’ information sheet.
THE ISLANDS: SIPADAN, MABUL & KAPALAI
SIPADAN is the small island where you can dive and snorkel. It is a 15-30 minutes boat ride south of Mabul. Sipadan is the tip of a mountain with steep underwater walls all around it. These walls drop to 300m on the Mabul side of the island and 600m on south side.
Diving on Sipadan is all drift diving, divers drop in and cruise with the current along the walls. This combination of deep walls and ocean currents provides the ideal environment for pelagic such as sharks and large schools of jacks and barracuda.
SPECIAL RULES FOR PROTECTING TURTLES:
Divers and snorkelers are to refrain from touching, teasing and restraining turtles under water because turtles are air breathers and can be drowned if panicked or cornered. Anyone riding or restraining turtles will sit out the next dive.
Note: The time restricted by the Government for Diving at Sipadan Island is from 6am to 6pm.
MABUL in contrast to Sipadan is a continuation of the Borneo landmass rather than the top of an underwater mountain. Because of this, Mabul has more gradually sloping walls around it that bottom out at about 30m. The attractions on Mabul are of the smaller variety such as lobster, crocodile fish, moray and garden eels. This makes it an ideal location for macro-photo opportunities.
If you walk around the east of the island at night, be sure to take a flashlight and watch for sea snakes on the beach or amongst the palm trees.
KAPALAI lies to the east of Mabul about 10 minutes away. It used to be a vegetated island much like Mabul but erosion has turned it into a small sandbar that just breaks the surface of the water. This is an area that we are exploring for new dive sites. Like Mabul it is an excellent location for macro-photography and is especially abundant in the rare finds of diving such as mandarin fish, stonefish, leaf fish, pipefish, lionfish, frogfish, cuttlefish, eels, and more.
CONDITIONS FOR DIVING
DIVER TRAINING / DIVER’S CERTIFICATIONS
All divers will be required to show proof of diver training / certification by an internationally recognized Diver Training Agency upon arrival before they would be allowed to participate in any diving activity. SMART also reserves the right to require a Scuba Skills Refresher Course for any diver who cannot provide proof of diving in the last 12 months and/or exhibits uncertainty in their skills. Logbooks are highly recommended
LIABILITY/RELEASE FORM (WAIVER)
All guests will be required to sign a Liability/Release Form (Waiver) before or upon arrival and abide by all diving and safety rules of the resort. No diving or snorkeling activities will be permitted until the said form is signed and witnessed.
WEATHER CONDITIONS
We operate diving all year round but we cannot predict the weather conditions these days for scuba diving even for the best season.
DIVING ON FIRST DAY AT RESORT – ORIENTATION
The first dive at the Dive Resort on the day of arrival will be an orientation dive with a Divemaster. This is required of all divers. Please take note that there is NO Underwater Camera or Video allowed during the orientation dive. Other jetty dives can be done on the first day under our UNLIMITED JETTY DIVES program. First day diving is depends on your arrival time to the resort.
DIVING SCHEDULES AND REGULATIONS
Boat Dives
There are three (3) boat dives a day, two in the morning and one in the afternoon. It is a combination dive at nearby dive sites making a total of 3 dives per day. Each boat goes out with a boatman and Divemaster. All dive sites and dive schedules will be arranged at the discretion of the resort Management.
Our dive boats will depart to the dive sites every morning at 8.00 to 9.00 am and return to Sipadan-Mabul Resort after the 3rd dive, around 4.00 p.m. Divers will return to the resort for their meals after every dive. If you are diving at Sipadan Island you will be there the whole day, lunch will be served on site.
The number of dive is limited to avoid overcrowding; therefore, visits must be arranged well in advance. Divers on their first visit to Sipadan are briefed before they take the plunge.
Additional Day Dives
In order to cover the entire dive sites it is recommended at least one week stay at the resort. If you would like to do additional day diving besides the normal 3 boat dives then the diving rate is RM 150.00 per dive/for 1 diver and RM 100 per dive/for 2 divers and above(subject to 6% service tax). This must be arranged in advance with the dive master. You will be required to sign a separate Liability/Release Form (Waiver).
Unlimited Jetty Dives
Besides the three (3) boat dives, unlimited jetty dives may be carried out daily on Mabul’s House Reef. These jetty dives can only start after your morning boat dive, unless you choose not to go on the morning boat dive; then you may dive anytime after 7.00am.Your last jetty dive has to be planned in such a way as to exit the water by 7.00 p.m.
(See also Night diving section below)
For jetty dive, you are required to dive with a buddy and sign out with our personnel on duty. NO DIVEMASTERS WILL ACCOMPANY JETTY DIVES, unless prior arrangements are made.
Buddy System and Depth Limitations
As per most Training Agency’s teachings, all dives must be with a buddy; no solo diving is allowed. Depth on any dive shall be limited to a maximum of 140 feet (40 meters), of course taking into account any residual nitrogen time already acquired.
Surface Intervals
For safety measures, a mandatory minimum 60 minutes surface interval is required before the next consecutive dive, regardless of whether you are diving by a computer or by tables.
Night Diving
To Night Dive, divers must show proof of night diving in the form of certification cards or logbooks documenting such dives. If no proof is available, divers who wish to night dive will be required to take an introduction OR certification course in night diving at an additional cost. Night Divers must exit the water by 7.00 p.m. (1900 hrs).
Night dive is exceptionally good at Mabul walls where one could easily encounter Lobsters, Crocodile Fish and occasionally large Cuttlefish. The boat leaves for Mabul night dive at around 6.00 – 6.30 p.m. and dinner will be served after the dive.
Night dives can be scheduled whenever a diver wants to do one the following evening at extra charge.
A diver doing their first night diving will be required to do an introduction to night diving prior to the dive.
Rates for night diving with boat on Mabul Island is RM 270.00(subject to 6% service tax) per dive/per boat from 1-2 Divers and if there are 3 divers and above the rate is RM 100.00(subject to 6% service tax) per diver/per dive .This will be charged locally.
FLYING AFTER DIVING (LAST DAY AT RESORT)
The latest recommendation from DAN, Training Agencies etc., indicates that you should wait a minimum of 12 hours and sometimes up to 24 hours after diving before you fly. However, SMART recognizes that people, agencies, and even computers and tables differ on this. If you choose to dive on the day you leave and fly, you will be required to sign a separate
Liability/Release Form (Waiver) to do this. You will only be able to do one morning dive at 8.00am at Mabul Island; however, this is at the discretion of the resort Management .The extra charge for the dive on last day is RM 100.00(subject to 6% service tax) per person/per dive.
FINAL DISCRETION
SMART reserves final discretion on who may or may not do any type of diving we offer, based on a diver’s shown abilities, experience, etc. If a diver is or becomes physically incapacitated by injuries, illness, intoxication, ‘hangovers’, etc., we reserve the right to stop this person from diving.
We constantly remind all our valued guests that the future of the reef is in their hands, they are told not to touch, lift, remove or damage any of the flora and fauna of the reef.
All our Dive masters and Instructors are well versed on protection of our underwater ocean environment and have at all time been advising all Resort guest divers on the underwater rules during their briefings and this is our standard practice. These restrictions are also stated in our contract agreement signed by all guests.
Our resort do take it very seriously on the diving and underwater rules. If warranted, for consistent bad behaviors underwater, we will ban the divers from diving.
NOTICE OF ENTRY PERMIT & DIVING AT SIPADAN ISLAND
Please be informed that all guests need to obtain entry permit daily to dive or visit to Sipadan Island and it will be subject to approval by the Sabah Parks Management, which is in control of issuing the entry permit.
The total number of divers or visitors allowed to visit Sipadan Island is restricted to 176 people per day.
Our resort has been allocated 12 quotas each day out of the 176 people. Due to this limited quotas our Sales Office in Kota Kinabalu under Explore Asia Tours Sdn Bhd will only arrange for guests who stay from 5 nights onward at standalone chalets or at water bungalows to have 1 day diving guarantee at Sipadan Island.
Please note there is no first come first serve basis. During peak season, priority will be given to divers.
This guarantee trip is NOT included the entry permit fee. The fee is RM 140.00 per person per day (subject to 6% Service Tax) for divers, non-divers, visitors and children. This entry permit fee has to be paid on arrival in the resort.
As for guests who are staying less than 5 nights at Standalone Chalet or Water Bungalow, the package will be based on our NON SIPADAN PACKAGE, the trip to Sipadan Island is NOT GUARANTEE.
As for guests who are staying at Standard Chalet based on our NON SIPADAN PACKAGE, no matter how long is your stay, the trip to Sipadan Island is NOT GUARANTEE.
We will not be held responsible for not being able to provide trip to Sipadan Island due to the conservation measures by the Government.
However, should the entry permit to Sipadan Island is not been approved, we can offer alternative trip at nearby islands such as Kapalai, Mabul, Sibuan, Boheydulang, Mantabuan and Mataking where there is no restrictions on these islands. You may arrange this trip with our dive team in the resort.
You may check with our dive team when you arrive to the resort, if any day trip to Sipadan is available to book.
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